Bucs OC Sullivan eager to work with QB Freeman

Sharing a vision with first-year head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik was a factor for Mike Sullivan, but the new offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also was swayed to leave the Giants because of the opportunity to work with 24-year-old quarterback Josh Freeman.

Four days after winning a second Super Bowl ring with the Giants as an assistant coach on Tom Coughlin's staff, Sullivan met with Schiano in Tampa on Feb. 9.

"I was immediately taken by the man, by his passion and his sense of commitment to the Buccaneer way,'' Sullivan said Wednesday during a news conference at Bucs headquarters.

"The next day I met with Mark Dominik and saw the visions and goals of this great organization. I immediately knew this was not only what I wanted to do … this was what I had to do. I'm extremely excited to be here.''

After working with Giants receivers and quarterback Eli Manning during his eight-year stint with Coughlin in New York, Sullivan relishes the chance to help Freeman return to the 2010 form that stamped him as a rising NFL star.

"As everyone knows, this is a quarterback-driven league,'' Sullivan said. "You've got to have a quarterback. You look at the skill set (Freeman) possesses, the youth, the ability, the size and the strength – there's an awful lot there that I'm just chomping at the bit to work with.''

After winning the Super Bowl for the second time in five seasons, the Giants could have blocked Sullivan's move to Schiano's staff, but Coughlin eventually gave his long-time assistant his blessing to accept the promotion, following some emotional exchanges.

"Coach Coughlin was initially hesitant, which made me feel very appreciative,'' said Sullivan, who also worked on Coughlin's staff in Jacksonville. "Words can't describe the respect I have for him as a person, a leader and as a coach. It's a testament to his loyalty and character that ultimately he decided to support me and allow this to happen. Those were difficult conversations, but at this point, he's the opponent and I'm a Buccaneer.''

Sullivan, who was hired on Friday, said he is still in the process of evaluating Tampa Bay's offensive talent.

He will accompany Schiano and Dominik to Indianapolis for next week's scouting combine, eager to apply New York's championship formula to a 4-12 Buccaneer club that finished last season with a 10-game losing streak.

"I've been so blessed to have experienced it first-hand, seeing how a team can put aside ego, put aside the individual and truly believe amidst all adversity,'' Sullivan said. "I've seen the commonalities become more important than the differences. When you have discipline, a structure and a way of doing things where everyone's accountable, coaches and players, I've seen that work.''